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2 Sheets-Sheet 1 (No Model.)

B. 0. ROWELL. E'XTENSIBLE ELEGTR-IGAL CONDUCTOR. No. 466,427.

Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

'10., vusnmawn n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFioE.

BENTON C. ROWELL, 'OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO D. HOWVARD VINCENT, OFSAME PLACE.

EXTENS'IBLE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 466,427, dated January 5, 1892.

Application filed April 13, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENTON C. ROWELL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extensible Electrical Conductors for Carrrying Power-Currents, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to extensible electri- .10 cal conductors, particularly for use in connecting the ends of discontinuous con tactrods or trolley-wires used with electric railways. Heretofore it has been entirely impracticable to continue the trolley-Wire of an electrical railway across the tracks of a steamrailway where such crossings occur, and only at great expense and by the use of subaqueou s cables has it been accomplished at drawbridges; and my improvements consist in aca complishing this by an extensible wire or rod suitably attached at one end 'of the discontinuous trolley-wire or contact-rod, so that it may be drawn out beyond the end thereof or extended across to the opposite end, and

-a downwardly-projecting finger or clutch connected with the extensible wire or rod to engage with the passing trolley when the overhead wire is used, and an upwardly-projecting finger to engage'with the passing contact- 0 wheel when the contact-rail beneath the car is used, and a latch to hold said finger rigid until relieved by a tripping-bar at the other terminal of the'trolley-wire; also, in a spring or counter-weight to pull the extensible rod or wire back to its normal position after .the

said finger or clutch has been released, and,

further, in a bar to trip or release the latch from the clutch when the trolley has traversed the space intervening between the two ter- 40 minals of the discontinuous trolley-wire, and

a guide to direct the trolley to its wire as the car moves forward.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a sidev elevation of a discontinuous trolleywire, with an extensible rod pivoted at one terminal to connect that with the otherterminal and operated by a cord attached to the rod below the trolley-wire and passing over a pulley or cam-lever which is engaged by the passing trolley, and a latch to hold the rod in contact with the opposite mal position.

Serial No. 388,752. (No model.)

terminal until released by the trolleyin pass ing; Fig. 2, a front View of the trolley with extended axle; Fig. 3, a rear view ofthe pulley or cam-lever by which the trolley engages and operates the extensible rod. Fig. 4. is a rear viewot the lower portion of the extensible rod with a weight'to return it to its nor- Fig. 5 is a front View of the latch to hold the extensible rod in contact with the opposite terminal and the trippinglever by which it is released. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an overhead trolley-wire system of an electric railway, illustrating the manner in which the extensible rod is held contiguous to and parallel with the trolleywire and the finger or clutch engaging with the trolley of the passing car; also, the clutch releasing or tripping bar and guide to direct the trolley to its wire. Fig. 7 illustrates another convenient manner of attaching the countor-weight to the extensible rod or conductor. Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the end of the extensible electrical conductor with the trolley-clutch and spring-latch. Fig. 9 is a side view of the same parts and the trip pin g-bar and trolley-guide, with the end of the extensible rod in section and with the fingers engaging with the trolley shown in dotted lines. Fig. 10 is aside View of amoditied form So of trolley-clutch and retaining-latch; Fig. 11,

a top view ofthe trippingbar and trolleyguide.

In the several figures of the drawings similar letters indicate corresponding parts of the devices.

A is the trolley-arm, a the trolley, and a" the trolley-journal.

Z is the trolley-wire; c c, the trolley-wire supports; #22, the extensible rod or wire. In Figs. 1 and 4 this rod is pivoted at cl. In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 the rod is held in a socket 70, supported at d. i

The extensible rod m may. be constructed so as to tilt upon a pivot, as illustrated in Figs. 5 1 and 4., and with a latch to hold its free end at the opposite terminal of the trolley-wire when in the position shown in dotted lines, or, as illustrated in Figs. 7 to 10, be supported in a guide which will allow it to be pulled out a sufficient distance to span the space between the two terminals. to is a counterbalancing-weight to draw the extensible rod back to its normal position after it has been released by the tripping devices. A spring may be used for this purpose in place of the weight.

5 A cord r is attached to the extensible rod near the end opposite its free end, and in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the cord passes over a cam pulley or lever 13, upon which the trolley acts directly by means of a finger Z) projecting therefrom, while in the arrangements shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the cord passes over pulleys B, and the trolley-engaging finger b is attached to the extensible rod.

InFigs. l and 5, c is the latch which holds the end of the rod min contact with one terminal of the trolley-Wire when it has been carried across by the action of the moving-trolley. The latch is hung in a yoke it upon a pivot i, which extends out at one side and has a downwardly-projeetingtri p pin g-lever f, which will be struck by the projecting journal (1. of the trolley as it passes and moves to the position shown in dotted lines, thus drawing back the latch e and releasing the end of the rod m. By means of a screw 8 the lever f may be adjusted upon the pivoti so as to throw the latch forward to a greater or less degree, as desired, the leverf being longer and heavier than the latch.

In Figs. 8, 9, and 10 the latch c is shown held in the end of the extensible rod m, the latch in this instance being constructed so as to hold the trolley-engaging finger b until the end of the extensible rod has been carried across to the opposite trolley-wire terminal, where the latch is withdrawn or raised by striking a stationary tripping-bar g, which is constructed of a flaring shape, wide at the outer end and diminishing in width toward the other end to serve as a guide to direct the trolley to the trolley-wire.

The latches e (shown in Figs. 8 and 9) are held in their normal position by a spring, and in Fig. 10 by the weight of the projecting portion of the latch. After the trolley has left the finger I) it will drop to its normal position by the weight of the projecting portion, or to make its return more positive a spring may be used to assist the force of gravity. Where the extensible rod is arranged to be drawn out horizontally by the trolley, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the free end is counterbalanced by means of a cord 01, running over a pulley 0, which is attached to a supporting cross-wire, the ends of the cord being fastened to the respective ends of the extensible rod,

as at p p, the eye 1) running in a slot in the upper side of the socket 70.

I claim- 1. In combination with the terminals of a discontinuous electrical contact-rod or trolleywire, an extensible electrical conductor supported at one terminal, a projecting finger connected with said conductor and adapted to be operated by a passing car to extend the conductor across the space between the terminals, and a weight or spring to withdraw said conductor from that space when the car has passed, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the respective terminals of a discontinuous trolley-wire of an electrical railway, an extensible electrical conductor provided with a trolley-engaging finger, and a tripping-bar to disengage the finger and trolley, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the trolley-wire of an electric railway, an extensible arm or rod supported in a position parallel and contiguous thereto, a projecting finger to engage with the passing trolley, and a weight or spring to hold the extensible arm in its normal position and return it thereto when drawn therefrom by the trolley, substantially as described.

4:. In combination with the respective ends of a discontinuous electrical trolley-wire, an extensible electrical conductor provided with a trolley-engaging finger at one terminal, and a disengaging bar and guide to direct the trolley to the wire at the other terminal, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the terminal of an electric trolley-wire, a telescopic extensible rod, a trolley-clutch, and a counter-weight or spring to return said rod to its normal position when displaced therefrom by the trolley, substantially as described.

6. In combination with an extensible electrical conductor of a discontinuous trolleywire, a trolley-clutch, a yielding latch to hold it in operative position, and a disengagingbar to move the latch and release the clutch, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the terminals of a discontinuous electrical contactrod of an electric railway, an extensible electrical conductor connected with aclutch which engages the trolley or contact-wheel of a passing car,

whereby the extensible conductor is caused to bridge the space between the terminals, a

latch to keep the extensible conductor in electrical contact with the trolley while traversing the space between the terminals, and a disengaging device to release said conductor when the trolley has reached the opposite terminal, substantially as described.

BENTON C. ROWELL.

Witnesses:

R. L. ROBERTS, (inns. R. YOUNG. 

